Church of England apologises for role in forced adoptions
BBC News 2026-06-18 10:00:07
Context: The Church of England has apologized for its role in the historical practice of forced adoptions, which saw thousands of unmarried mothers pressured into giving up their babies for adoption between 1949 and 1976. The apology comes after a two-year investigation into the Church's archives and records, as well as testimony from birth mothers and adoptees. The Church's apology follows a similar announcement from the government, which has promised a full apology on behalf of the state.
Key Facts
- The Church of England helped run or was responsible for approximately 100 mother and baby homes between 1949 and 1976, where unmarried pregnant women were sent to give birth and often pressured into giving up their babies for adoption.
- Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullaly issued a formal apology on behalf of the Church, stating that victims experienced "pain and trauma and suffering and fear when you should have received care and compassion" and that "the shame is ours and we're profoundly sorry."
- A report published by the Church found that documents from 1970 described the homes as places "from which the adoption agencies get their raw material," and that some mothers were described as "dim, feckless [and] inadequate."
- The Church's apology recognizes that many women were given menial and manual tasks as a form of punishment, despite being heavily pregnant, and that the quality of the homes "did not always meet acceptable standards."
- The Adult Adoptee Movement, which represents children forcibly removed from mothers during the era, described the Church's apology as "not a meaningful apology," citing a lack of admission of wrongdoing and recognition of specific harms.